Zoological Medicine and Surgery Residency Training Program

Brief program description:

This program is a three-year non-degree residency in Zoological Medicine and Surgery. The residency, mentored by two Diplomates of the American College of Zoological Medicine, is a collaborative effort between the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and the Milwaukee County Zoo (MCZ), with the participation of International Crane Foundation (ICF), United States Geological Survey Wildlife Health Center (WHC), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center (WRPRC), the Henry Vilas Zoo and the UW Research Animal Resource Center (RARC). The resident is selected through the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program and there will be one resident per three-year term.

Objectives:

Objectives listed in the American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) criteria for board-approved training programs will be met in the following manner:

1. Develop the trainee's clinical competency with a wide variety of species through on the job experience and related studies: The trainee will be primary clinician on all assigned Special Species Health Service (SSHS) clinical cases presented to the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital (VMTH) during his/her period of rotation. The SSHS case load ranges across a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, as well as amphibians and fish species (see Appendices I and II). The VMTH is responsible for the health care program at the International Crane Foundation where 15 species of cranes are maintained. The resident is intended to spend a minimum of 6 weeks per year at the ICF. The MCZ has an extensive inventory of zoological species including non-human primates, hoofstock, megavertebrates, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians (see Appendix III). The resident will be responsible (under supervision by one of the staff veterinarians) for the daily primary care of clinical cases at the MCZ for a minimum period of 3 months per year. The WHC and the DNR will provide the resident with ample exposure to wildlife species and wildlife disease investigation.
2. Provide the opportunity for free-ranging wildlife trainees to work with as many different classes of animals as possible, in the field and in the laboratory: Although this residency is primarily focused on captive species in zoological collections, training in free-ranging wildlife will be emphasized through collaborative projects between the DNR and the VMTH and MCZ such as the ongoing massassauga and timber rattlesnake telemetry studies. At the WHC, the trainee will gain experience with wildlife disease outbreak investigations. The trainee will be involved in various aspects of the Whooping Crane Reintroduction Program.
3. Provide the trainee with the opportunity to have experience with the broad range of professional activities required for a career in zoological medicine ( e.g., nutrition, preventive medicine, animal behavior, exhibit design, epidemiology, comparative pathology, handling and restraint, population medicine, husbandry, research, institution management, ethical and conservation issues ): Rotations at the MCZ and ICF will be addressing the above issues on a daily basis. The Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison has requested the SSHS to provide consultation on nutrition and preventive medicine programs for their zoological collection and the resident will take primary responsibility for this endeavor. Comparative pathology is an important aspect of the resident's training at the WHC and the MCZ. The SVM has an ongoing postgraduate fellowship program with the MCZ in zoo pathology. Zoo pathology rounds are held twice monthly with faculty and residents involved in the pathology and clinical training programs to review histologic specimens provided by necropsies and surgical biopsies from the MCZ, SSHS and RARC. All institutions involved in the collaborative effort of resident training have research as an integral function of their institutions and it is intended that the resident will observe and participate in several ongoing projects.
4. Encourage the continued review of the literature of zoological and wildlife medicine and management, by regularly scheduled journal discussions: The zoo and wildlife medicine journal club has been in existence at the VMTH for 10 years. The journal club has over 20 participants. The resident will be expected to participate actively in these monthly meetings. Daily case-related rounds at the VMTH, which include faculty, residents and students, require review of recent literature.
5. Encourage/require the development of a publishable paper based on an original investigation during the residency: The resident will be required to publish at least one manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal based on an original investigation. The resident will be expected to present results of this research at the annual AAZV conference prior to their third year. In addition, it is expected that the resident will also publish 2 to 3 retrospective studies or case-reports in peer-reviewed journals.
6. Provide a mentor relationship to assist the trainee in preparing to become board-certified: Two faculty at the UW-SVM are diplomates in the ACZM. Both individuals have been active in the ACZM and are well aware of the commitment that is required to mentor an individual towards ACZM certification. The trainee will be assigned one of the two diplomates as their principal advisor. In addition, one of the two staff veterinarians at the MCZ will also act as co-advisor.

Time requirement:

This is a three-year residency program spent at the University of Wisconsin, with three months per year spent at the Milwaukee County Zoo (appendix IV) and 6 weeks per year spent at the International Crane Foundation. The resident will be actively mentored by an ACZM Diplomate in residence a minimum of 24 months during the 36 month training program. The resident will have access to veterinary faculty and staff at the SVM and collaborating institutions at all times.

Facilities and equipment:

The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and the Milwaukee County Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (see Appendices V). The Wildlife Health Center is a reference laboratory for United States endangered species and wildlife disease related issues.

The faculty of the SSHS consists of Joanne Paul-Murphy DVM and Jean Paré DMV, DVSc. Both are diplomates of the ACZM. The SSHS staff also includes two clinical instructor positions; one position is Director of Veterinary Services at the ICF and the second is clinical and field veterinarian at the WHC. The current veterinarians in these positions are Barry Hartup DVM, Ph.D. and Laurie Baeten DVM, respectively. The SSHS has one certified veterinary technician assigned to the service. The ICF is staffed by a full-time certified veterinary technician. The MCZ is staffed by two full-time veterinarians, Roberta Wallace DVM and Victoria Clyde DVM, and two animal health technicians.

Animal experience:

This program is expected to substantially exceed the minimum of 250 cases per year. The SSHS case load averages 80 cases per month (appendices VI and VII). The resident will be the primary clinician for the SSHS for at least 7.5 months per year. The MCZ averages over 3,000 medical entries per year (appendix VIII) which will provide the resident with a minimum of 100 cases per month.

Consultation:

The resident will work closely under the supervision of a principal advisor, who shall be one of the two ACZM diplomates at the SVM. The principal advisor will be responsible for scheduling, written evaluations, selection of coursework, and mentoring. The resident will have regular contact with other SSHS faculty and will work closely with one clinical instructor at the International Crane Foundation (ICF), one adjunct faculty at the Wildlife Health Center (WHC), and one adjunct faculty at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The resident will benefit from interaction with clinical faculty throughout the VMTH, including board-certified anesthesiologists, radiologists, ophthalmologists, cardiologists, oncologists, surgeons, neurologists, dermatologists and internists. The VMTH faculty are extremely supportive of zoological medicine and encourage multiple service participation.

At the MCZ, the resident will work closely with both staff veterinarians, and one of the two experienced veterinarians will act as a primary supervisor for the resident's training program while at the MCZ.

Study and education:

a) Formal course work

The trainee will take at least two post-graduate courses in professionally related subjects during the three-year period. The University of Wisconsin provides ample opportunity for courses in a variety of topics related to zoological medicine such as epidemiology, risk assessment, bioethics in research, and statistics. In addition, the resident will participate and teach in the SSHS courses: avian health, reptile health, laboratory animal medicine, wildlife diseases , restraint and immobilization of exotic animals, physical examination and handling of non-traditional companion animals, nutrition of exotic animals, and llama medicine.

b) Independent study

The University of Wisconsin has over 40 libraries. The Steenbock Library is the center for veterinary references and journals and has an extensive collection of resources. The SVM has a student reading room in which there are recent issues of zoo-medicine related periodicals. At least five hours per week will be designated for appropriate reading, study, and organization of files by the resident. Scheduling of this time may vary depending on the institution. The resident will be provided with office space to include a desk, bookcases, and a filing cabinet. The resident will have ready access to computer and Internet resources.

c) Other requirements

The resident will receive evaluations every six months as required by the SVM residency program. These evaluations will be done orally and a written report will be given to the resident. The resident's position will be renewed annually based on adequate performance.

The resident will be asked to provide written feedback regarding his/her progress within the residency program on an annual basis.

d) Self-evaluation of the program

Both SSHS faculty and the MCZ veterinary staff, in conjunction with the Chairperson of the Department of Surgical Sciences, will review and evaluate the residency program on an annual basis. At the end of each three-year term, these written evaluations will be available to the ACZM Credentials Committee for consideration.

Eligibility

Qualified applicants must have a DVM degree from an accredited College of Veterinary Medicine or an equivalent degree and a score greater than 70 on the National Board Examination and the Clinical Competency Test. Application should be made through the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Veterinary Intern/Resident Matching Program. Applicants can submit a resume, University transcripts, Veterinary School GPA and class rank, letter of career goals, and three letters of reference to: Dr. Dale Bjorling, Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, 2015 Linden Drive West, University of Wisconsin, Madison Wisconsin, 53706.

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